ROMA DUE!

Our sleep didn't last very long...we were up and out the door early again. As my Dad always says to me when I am annoyed about not getting enough sleep, "just sleep fast, kiddo!"

Our bags were getting so weighed down after buying some stuff along the way that we made the decision to send some things home in the mail. Also, Jeni and I were flying out of Rome the next day (November 11) to Lisbon, Portugal. We found a great flight deal with Easy Jet, Europe's discount airline, for €65 each, however, the catch was that if you needed to check your bag, it would cost extra. My backpack was small enough to qualify as carry-on luggage, and only one piece of carry-on is allowed. I was overloaded and couldn't get all my stuff into my backpack anymore...I was hauling things around in my day bag, my running shoes were dangling on the side of my backpack and some liquor was stuffed in the outside pockets. Crammed to the NUTS! We marched over to the post office, at the main train station by our hostel, and put together two packages to send home...which took a painful 2 hours. Sigh...I won't even bother going into detail...but I got the vibe that the post office staff thought we were being the biggest pains in the asses. Anyways, I wanted my package going out the cheapest way possible...meaning the slowest and least secure...but, good news, I just received it yesterday (November 28)!! YAY!! Relieved because my leather hand bag was in it...and my boots!

It was Vatican day! I just have to say, because it came to mind just now, we had the best weather in Rome (minus the rainy, first night). 20 degrees and a sunny, cloudless sky both days we were there. I think back to the day at the Vatican, which was only two and a half weeks ago my gawd, and it was so warm and beautiful. It was a good day. A good day to pray and ask God for a spanky, new BMW in the near future! Juuuussssttt kidddddding!

We took the bus to the Vatican City and the sweetest, older gentleman decided he would like to show us the way into the Vatican from the bus stop. We followed like sheep, as he talked to us in Italian. Once we reached the entrance to get into St. Peter's Basilica, he grabbed our hands, kissed them and exclaimed, "ciao bellas!". Why, thank you! So nice.

Again, J-Sak and I were able to just walk right in to the Basilica...no half-day line ups that we were warned about were to be found. Maybe we were just lucky? We decided to check out the Basilica on our own, but pay for a tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. St. Peter's Basilica...wow...the largest Christian church in the world...and it was amazing inside! Both my Mom's side and my Dad's side of the family come from Catholic backgrounds and, as a result, I grew up learning about Catholic ideologies. To step foot inside the mecca of Christendom was an altogether different feeling that is hard to describe. Also, I did not know this, but the Basilica is the burial sight of St. Peter...as in Simon Peter, one of Jesus' twelve apostles. It is believed that around 64 AD, Peter traveled to Rome and became a martyr of his faith under the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. St. Peter is also considered the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. All of this, I did not know and found it interesting and, at the same time, eerie. Jeni also ran into a former co-worker of hers from ATCO...haha...at the Vatican, in St. Peter's Basilica. Just another day in Europe.

Later in the afternoon we met up with our tour group for the Sistine Chapel. This part I was most excited about! Before traveling throughout Europe, I knew who Michelangelo was, but not in depth. And, because I had the opportunity to see his marble masterpieces in Florence, I got more of a sense of what kind of artist he was and how much of an impact his art has made on humanity. I think this certainly enhanced my experience of seeing the Sistine Chapel for the first time. Also, I am so glad we did a tour. The information you get before you see the Chapel is really beneficial, I think anyways. We are first lead through the Vatican Museums, which hold tens of thousands of pieces of art collected over centuries by the Catholic Church, and include masterpieces by Michelangelo and Raphael, and many other important pieces from the Renaissance era. Our guide informed the group that if we were to look at each piece of art for 20 seconds, it would take a person 10 years to go through everything! After about an hour and a half going through the main pieces in the Museums, we are lead to the Sistine Chapel. OoOooooOO, great anticipation!

The Sistine Chapel really was remarkable. I know it sounds typical, but it truly is the most outstanding work of art that I have ever seen. And, because I knew the information I did about Michelangelo before heading into the Chapel, I understood why it is such an incredible and genius masterpiece. First of all, not only was Mikey a brilliant sculptor, but he could whip up a freakin' beautiful fresco painting on a giant ceiling. Second, to paint the entire ceiling took him only 4 years. Maybe that's a fair amount of time, I don't know, but I thought that was impressive. If I was painting a chapel ceiling, it just might take me a lifetime. Third, do you guys know what frescoes are? I didn't know much about the technique before I toured Europe so I will briefly explain. Pigment is mixed with water and is then applied to a thin layer of wet plaster (fresco meaning "fresh"). The pigment is then absorbed into the plaster and, once dry, the color will last forever. Also, once the pigment is applied to the plaster, there is no erasing or correcting mistakes...it's permanent. Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling in 1508, when he was 33 years old. Go see it. It was quite emotion-invoking.

And that was Rome. After we left the Vatican City, we did what we do best...walked. Haha! We found a nice place to eat and enjoyed our last Italian meal knowing that we had seen all we wanted to see in Rome. I mean, of course I could've stayed longer and explored more, but we got the big things accomplished! It was too bad it was such whirlwind visit...but that means there will hopefully be a "next time". Oh and, to celebrate our Italian adventures, we sought out a gelateria (of course, expect no less from us!) recommended by our tour guide...millions of flavours and they give you a giant dollop of whipped cream on top of your goody if you so choose! Ummm, yes please!

Ciao bella! Italy, she's been real nice!

Top 10 Inconsequential, Yet Enjoyable, Things About Europe:

So, now that I've been back in Canada nearly a week, I've had some time to digest my trip a bit. There are some things that I miss about Europe and certain, small things that I really took delight in. Here is a list of my top 10 inconsequential things I enjoyed in Europe:


10. Bikes/pedestrians dominate the road.
09. The voice over the metro intercom in Berlin saying "ausgang links" (meaning exit left). That phrase, to this day, is stuck in my head. Sometimes I can't stop repeating it over and over in my head.
08. When Italians say "prego!"
07. Accordion players on the metro in Paris. Classic!
06. McCafe.
05. Soccer. A very loved sport over there.
04. Cheap and delicious cheese in every grocery store. Man, I love cheese.
03. Uma meia de leite...coffee with milk, and in Portugal it is the best. Seriously, the best coffee I have EVER had.
02. Cheap and delicious wine in every grocery and convenience store! Heaven.
01. NUTELLA! Everywhere! A staple, really. (I was teased that I might have a slight addiction. I love that stuff! For this reason, I never buy it at home...too dangerous).

5 kilos of nutty goodness!

ROMA UNO!

We arrived at Roma Termini with great anticipation. Rome! Finally! So many great expectations of Rome, and I'd have to say that most of these expectations were met! How can you tell that you have arrived at a major metropolis? By the way everyone gets off the train. Absolutely no order...no rhyme or reason to disembarking...I'll go as far as to describe it as minor chaos. Pushing, shoving, people tromping over other people's luggage, rolling of the eyes, evil stares...bla, bla, bla. To me, this system does not make sense. J-Sak and I usually sit in our seats until everyone else has exited the train, then we make our move. We also do this because, by now, our bags are getting so heavy that pulling them down from the overhead luggage compartment is a serious undertaking, and we risk totally desecrating us and everyone around us if we pull them down while there are innocent civilians in the vicinity...


Our Rome hostel is called Funny Palace and it had pretty good reviews on Hostel Bookers. Side note: Hostel Bookers http://www.hostelbookers.com is the site that J-Sak and I used to book all of our hostels throughout our journey. Excellent. We never had a problem, ever, with our reservations. You can reserve online and you simply pay 10% of your total charge to hold your booking. That 10% is then deducted when you square up upon arrival at your hostel. I mention this website because, before I went backpacking, I didn't really know about it and it turned out to be great. Also, after your stay, you can go onto Hostel Bookers and rate the hostel in various capacities such as location, atmosphere, cleanliness, etc. Ratings are the best way to know if a hostel is good or not. People don't lie...believe me. They are very vocal on their likes and dislikes....


So, we get to Funny Palace, where the check-in/reception is located in a laundromat and we were openly greeted by a couple of young guys. We were promptly given a map of Rome, directions and transportation routes to the major sites, advice on the nightlife and restaurant areas AND a bottle of red vino! No wonder they get good reviews on Hostel Bookers! Though the hostel itself was a little run down, the atmosphere and the accommodating vibe, I think, is why this hostel was great. We always felt more than welcome.


Our first night in Rome was low key. I had the worst stomach ache coming off the 5 hour train ride...you know how it is, eating all this gelato, cheeses and breads, it's easy to get plugged up when you're not used to eating like that...then sit on a hot, cramped train. Not good. This happened to me several times on our trip, including the last leg of our flight home, from Toronto to Edmonton (this is why I like aisle seats on long plane rides...easy access to all amenities)! Why am I sharing this with you guys? I don't know.


Anyways, first thing on our list was to do was laundry. Really, there are only so many times you can sink-wash socks and undies! Also, that night it poured rain in Rome, so we decided to just go for dinner and rest up for the next day. At dinner the first night, we met a middle-aged couple from New Jersey; they were hilarious! They were touring around Italy for three weeks. Both were impressed by our travels thus far and reminisced about their travels when they were "our age"...back in 1975...when there were no computers or cell phones...you know, really "roughing it" compared to how we were traveling. With her Rick Steves' guide book in tow, Mrs. New Jersey advised us to be early, early, early for our day at the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, or else we would be waiting in a 4 hour line up...according to Rick Steves and her personal experience.


The next morning we did just as we planned, though we could've easily slept in. We were up and on our way early so that we could be at the entrance of the Colosseum when it opened. It is so interesting to see this huge, ancient monument right in the middle of a bustling city. Main thoroughfares, shopping centres and transit stations surround the ancient ruins. I'm just not used to seeing things like this. An interesting factoid: Rome only has a couple of metro lines because every time the city tries to dig new tunnels for new lines, they run into more ancient ruins. The city is littered with undiscovered ruins! So, the 4 hour line up we were warned about was non-existent. We basically walked right into the Colosseum. Great for us! We decided to pay a little extra money to join a 45 minute English tour, which was well worth it. The Colosseum was built in 72 AD, took 8 years to complete and could house 50 000 spectators. It's main purpose was for viewing gladiatorial battles for entertainment...battles between men and wild animals. The Colosseum was active in this manner for about four hundred years! Today, only a skeletal structure remains as most of the Colosseum was pillaged for it's stone and marble to build other structures around Rome such as the Vatican and the Pantheon. Jeni and I spent about 3 hours exploring the Colosseum and the surrounding ruins (Palatine Hill and Roman Forum). The Palatine Hill is the centre most of the Seven Hills of Rome which looks down upon a rectangular plaza consisting of ancient ruins that made up the city centre of Rome almost 2000 years ago; known as the Roman Forum. Though most of these ruins have crumbled and are still being excavated, it is certainly possible to see how could have been the centre of a great city. 


J-Sak and I made our way to the Spanish Steps (walking the whole way), to join a free afternoon walking tour after our exploration of the Colosseum. We needed a break, as we were starving and had been on our feet for nearly 5 hours at this point. We grabbed sandwiches and decided to plunk ourselves down on the Spanish Steps for about an hour. Of course, what do I sit in? Pigeon sh!t. Smeared it all over my pants. ARRRRGGGGG!! J-Sak laughed at my anger. My luck with this sh!t (literally) was pretty poor. A couple of days prior, in Cinque Terre, Jeni and I were the ONLY people walking down this long pedestrian tunnel and there was a nice, steamy, soft pile of dog crap that you could see coming from a mile away...and I just step right in it. In my white shoes. Smush. Laughable now. Not then. After Jeni, such a nice friend, helped me clean up the pigeon poo on my ass, she mentioned that I had now stepped in sh!t...then sat in sh!t...so the most logical next step would be to eat.........

In Cinque Terre...a steamy pile-o...

I will fast forward through the afternoon/evening of our day. Not only did we do an afternoon walking tour, we did an evening one as well. This equates to a hell of a lot of walking! We put a significant dent in Rome in our first day, and we knew we had to if we were gonna see it all in 2.5 days! On our evening tour we saw the Trevi Fountain lit up at night...amazing, really. It is a must-see when in Rome, I think...and go at night. Less people and more beautiful. We also met a fellow Canadian named Laura on our evening tour. Originally from Saskatchewan, she has not lived in Canada for about 10 years. She has been teaching at international schools all over the world; her last job was in Singapore for 5 years and she recently moved to Jordan. Laura had come to Rome for a week vacation as her school had a fall break. She was one of the most interesting and enjoyable people I had met on our trip so far and the three of us went for a great dinner after the tour. I was able to pick her brain about what it is like to work overseas and travel about alone. She had some great advice and insight, and I found her experiences very refreshing! I have often thought about teaching English somewhere in Asia. I would like to keep up my Mandarin skills, and I know I've lost some of it. Also, I would love to travel around for an extended period of time...but I know I need to make money while doing so. So, Laura sort of re-lit that fire for me as we chatted the night away...over some great pizza, pasta, seafood and wine!


First day of Rome was great! We didn't arrive back at our hostel until midnight and we had left at 8:30am...frick. Tomorrow: Vatican. What was Jeni's Facebook status? "The Pope had better clean up his home cuz we're coming over for a visit!"

Cinque Terre # 2

This stop along our journey was one of the most anticipated stops for Jeni and I. As
I mentioned several posts back, Cinque Terre is an Italian national park where five
villages (Riomaggiore, Manorola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) are located
right along the Mediterranean, perched on top of high, jagged cliffs. There are
hiking trails connecting all the villages and people are able to hike along the
cliffs, right next to the sea. Incredible. We have heard nothing but amazing stories
from other travelers about their experiences in Cinque Terre.

We did not arrive at Riomaggiore until almost midnight and the village was deserted.
Luckily, the hostel owners live on site and we were able to check-in that late at
night. Jeni and I had become aware that something major had happened in Vernazza on
October 25th that lead to the major hiking trails being shut down. We were crossing
our fingers that, in the morning, some trails may be open so we could do a little
bit of exploring...

The morning came and the day was calm and turned out to be sunny. We first walked
down to the tourist info office (every village has one that is very interesting and
informative) and poked around to see what areas we could hike and what the exactly
the situation was. It turned out that absolutely no trails were open to the public
for an indefinite amount of time. The lady working at the tourist office tried to
explain to us the situation as best she could and actually began to cry. Huge
amounts of rain came this fall in the area and Vernazza and Monterosso were
devastated by mud slides that took the lives of several people. The villages were
evacuated around October 25 and, currently, there are crews working in the areas and
trying to restore it to a livable condition. The mood in Cinque Terre was quite
quiet and somber while we were there. This is the greatest devastation Cinque Terre
has ever experienced and it was, obviously, very traumatic for the locals of the
villages.

Jeni and I, because we have been on the road for a while now (exactly a month, in
fact), and because we have limited Internet access and limited access to English
news, we had no idea of what had happened in Cinque Terre before we got there. We
have both agreed we would not have changed our experience, though we did not get to
hike Cinque Terre. We were able to take the train between all five villages and we
were able to stop and explore Riomaggiore, Manorola and Corniglia. The train ride
between each village was only 10 minutes and cheap...so we explored Riomaggiore and
Corniglia the first day, and the second day we explored Manorola. We took the train
through Vernazza and Manorola, even though we could not get off, and we were briefly
able to see the destruction from the mud slides. There was mud piled a few meters
high in some places. Backhoes were literally digging dirt out of people's homes via
the front entrance way. We could see mud and grass stuck in window shutters on the
second floors of people's homes. There were many cleanup crews visible from the
train as we passed through.

It it hard to explain the sights of Cinque Terre. I feel like I have said that about
quite a few things on our journey, but, many of these places people must experience
for themselves...

The villages are so unique, unlike anything I have seen before. Green terraces
surround the towns and is where agricultural production takes place. There are
vineyards, lemon and orange trees and vegetables that are grown along the terraces.
Cinque Terre makes its own wine and limoncello! The villages are nestled between the
rocky, terraced cliffs and hills that are located right by the Mediterranean. As we
walked through the villages that we had access to, there were several lookout points
where you could observe the incredible landscape on one side, and the great ocean on
the other. In Corniglia, the middle village, there actually is one lookout point
where you can view all five villages...two to the north and two to the south. The
waves were amazing as well...mighty, blue swells crashing against the rocky
coastline. It was also apparent the sense of community that connected the villages
of Cinque Terre. Locals were very friendly to us, considering the recent set of
events, and while wandering the streets of each town, locals were always out talking
and laughing with each other and enjoying the company of others.

Jeni and I went through gelato withdrawals in Cinque Terre. All the gelaterias had
been shut down for the off season. So, we just decided to enjoy some drinks along
the side of the railways tracks while waiting for our trains  from village to
village. The tracks wind along cliffs right above the ocean, so there are also great
views at the train stations, too. The Riomaggiore station had a small bar that made
to-go drinks...genius idea! I discovered a new drink that I love while on my
travels. It's an Italian drink called Aperol Spritz and it made with Aperol (a
bitter, red liquor), Prosecco and orange slices...all chilled and mixed together in a wine
glass. Delicious! Especially when enjoying it by the railway tracks on a sunny day
by the Mediterranean. 

It was a nice break from the large, European centers that we had been touring. At
this point on our trip, I am starting to feel like I need more and more rest but we
still have some major cities to see like Rome, Lisbon and Barcelona. My time spent
in Cinque Terre was pretty much tourist free, quiet and slow...I definitely
appreciated and enjoyed those couple of days. Jeni was antsy to get on to
Rome...after a couple of quiet days wandering around Cinque Terre, I think she was
happy to move along. I could've easily stayed there for another day or two.

Because we stayed an extra night in Cinque Terre, hoping for some trails to possibly
open up, we pushed Rome back a day and gave ourselves two and a half days to see one
of the greatest European cities. A mighty feet and I was mentally preparing. We had
a five hour train ride from La Spezia to Roma...we were off to see epicenter of
where western civilization began!

Our Gondolier Smoked and Chatted on His Cell Phone...

Venice. Venice is SO kool! It is unlike any other city I have ever seen and the way
of life there is truly unique. Venice is actually very small, we walked the whole
island the few days we were there. Apparently real estate in Venice itself is
extremely pricey, so many people live in the areas surrounding Venice and commute to
work everyday. The city is like a maze. The streets intertwine in no order in
particular, and there are dead ends everywhere. By dead ends I mean the narrow
streets end and the canals begin! 

As soon as we get off our train and exit the station, there are several water busses
(vaporetti) lined up waiting to take people where they need to go via the Grand
Canal. We hop on the # 1 and sail to our stop at San Angelo. Pretty freakin' kool I
think! We also discovered that many of the streets in Venice are not labeled, or
what they are labeled are not actually what they are called. This is a very
efficient system, no? I'll let you all to use your imaginations to think about how
Jeni and I found our way to our hostel at 10:00 at night...

We swore we had booked an eight bed dorm and, upon checking in, Jeni asks if our
room is full. Oh yes! It's all full, very full...we are told. We are escorted to our
own private room with ensuite and fresh towels. Nice surprise! We don't remember
booking that but it worked out to be no more money, awesome! That evening, we met an
Aussie couple (surprise, surprise) in our hostel who were very friendly and quite
entertaining. They asked us if we all wanted to go in on trying to get a gondola
ride together the next day. Jeni and I were in! Of course, it is the thing to do in
Venice, but a typical 50 minute ride can cost up to € 150 and there was no way Jeni
and I were going to split that ourselves. 

We were supposed to meet up with the Aussies (Craig and Amanda) the next morning at
breakfast, we agreed on 8:30 am. The hostel breakfast was € 5 and we had to travel
about 15 minutes by foot/traghetti to get to the restaurant. Traghetti's are very
neat. They are small gondolas that transport people across the canals for € 0.50.
Otherwise, there are only 3 bridges in Venice where you can cross the canal. The
Aussies were an hour late and didn't show up until 9:30...how nice of them. Jeni and
I were just leaving when they rushed in and apologized that they were late. Ahh
well.

After breakfast, the four of us marched over to Piazza San Marco, which is the
largest and most central square in Venice, to bargain our way to an € 80 gondola
ride, split four ways. This was fun. When we first started approaching the
gondoliers, they simply scoffed at our asking price. You know how this goes: you say
your price...they make you feel like you are nothing but a cheap tourist...you tell
them they are doing this to fool you and you WILL get your asking price...they
assure you you will never get what you want. Back and forth, back and forth. We
finally found a gondolier that would take us on the route we wanted to see but for
no less than € 120. € 120!? Too much, that's € 30 per person...we only wanted to
spend € 20 each. Jeni, ah Jeni, she was super clever that day. She asked our
gondolier that, if we found 2 more people to come with us, could we still have the
ride for € 120, but split between 6 people?

"Sure," said the gondolier, "but you will never find two more people. No one comes
in groups of two, and if they do, they are lovers. They wouldn't want to go with the
four of you. You can try, but you will have no success."

I call someone's B.S.! Go Jeni, go! By this point in time we were getting a bit
desperate. We had been bargaining with several people for almost 45 minutes and we
just wanted to get on a freakin' gondola. Well, us girls wanted to and Craig was
more enjoying the thrill of bargaining and would not give up. Also, very heavy storm
clouds were rolling in and sprinkles of rain were beginning to fall.

Jeni walks up to the first two people she sees, two girls who were also from
Australia, and asks if they wanted to join the four of us on a lovely gondola
ride...one hour for € 20 per person. Of course they did! And the gondolier was
stewing. He was so annoyed that we were successful at getting two more people to
join the group right off the bat.

As we departed the port, excited for our 50 minute canal tour, the sky started to
spit. Within minutes, we were caught in a complete down pour of rain that ended up
lasting most of the day! However, the gondola ride ended up being really great and
all of us laughed non-stop the whole ride...we thought it was funny that we spent
all that time bargaining and now we were all stuck on a boat getting soaked...and
the gondolier was not too pleased either.

J-Sak and I spent the rest of our time in Venice dodging the rain, walking the
streets of Venice with no map in hand (it wouldn't have helped us anyways) and
checking out the unique shops. I didn't know this, but Venice is know for its glass
blowing and glass art. There are many kool art stores that sell nothing but Venetian
glass art...some very nice stuff! I also discovered the most delicious bruschetta in
a small cafe in Venice...had it everyday for lunch. Also, the last day were were in
Venice, we saw maintenance workers setting up raised sidewalks all over the city and
we wondered if they were expecting flooding. We left Venice in the late afternoon of
November the 5th, and by that evening, the streets of Venice had flooded...we
watched this on the news the next day in Cinque Terre. Dodged a big one!!

Our travels from Venice took us to Cinque Terre on the northwest coast of Italy. We
had to take a train from Venice to Milan, then Milan to La Spezia, and lastly La
Spezia to Riomaggiore. Riomaggiore is the southern most village of the five Cinque
Terre villages and was where our "base camp" was for the next couple of days.

In the Land of Pasta, Pizza & Mozzarella!

 It is interesting to experience the different trains through each country...some are great...others are, well, interesting. We had to transfer in Milan, Italy in order to get to Florence from Nice. Immediately stepping off the train in Milano Centrali, I noticed that Italy smelled like cow pies. Delicious. Sometimes Alberta smells that way, too (wink, wink). Upon using the toilet for the first time on an Italian train, I noticed that one's waste falls right onto the tracks. You can see it go down a long tube and then there is daylight at the end. So, not cow pies after all. Hope you all enjoyed that little tid-bit of info as your sip your morning joe and enjoy your banana and yogurt...  

We arrived in Florence on the evening of November 1st. The hostel we stayed at came from a recommendation from the two Toronto roommates we had in bed-bug central. The Archi Rossi hostel...great hostel! Clean, friendly and the breakfast was free, consisting of bacon and eggs or french toast...and, of course, a cappuccino. The hostel also put on two different, free walking tours. Upon arriving from France, we immediately noticed the change in attitude of local's reactions to tourists. Ahhhh friendly Italians! I definitely felt more welcome all throughout Italy, where in France, it was touch and go.  

The first evening we spent in Florence, we strolled the local market, which takes place daily, and...we also had some..........GELATO!! A reoccurring theme, right? The market consists of all things leather; purses, wallets, belts, bracelets, jackets, etc. You can also bargain with the people there, too, which is fun. So, how could I leave Florence and not buy a leather hand bag?! So many beautiful ones to choose from...only thing is, they're not too cheap. € 150 for a good quality bag...which is around $ 200 CAD. I have to hold off...plus, where the H am I going to put this stuff? I am only lugging around a 48L backpack and I already bought two pairs of boots. Life is tough, hey?! Haha!  

Florence is home to the Duomo, officially titled Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, and construction began in 1294. The dome was designed by Brunelleschi in the 1400s and the cathedral is one of the largest in the world today. The design and construction of the Duomo is amazing. Due the the incredibly large size of the dome, no scaffolding could not be used in its construction process. Brunelleschi used a cat-tail technique with the bricks of the dome so that it would be self-supporting. It is a genius design, and to this day, physicists, architects, mathematicians and engineers cannot quite figure out just how Brunelleschi designed the Duomo. If the Duomo was to be destroyed for whatever reason, it would be impossible to rebuild it the way it was originally built in the 1400s! Jeni and I climbed to the top of the Duomo, some 463 stairs, and saw fantastic views of all of Florence. Highly recommended! 

Florence's Duomo

J-Sak and I at the top of the Duomo

Why, hello Italy.

The bell tower

Climbing the last few stairs to the top of the Duomo

Florence is also home to Michelangelo's "David" sculpture. Other than the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel in Rome, David was the most incredible piece of art I have ever
seen. The monstrous marble statue looks so life like, it was carved from one, solid
piece of marble when Michelangelo as only 29. There are two David replicas in
Florence, though they are not quite like the real one. Though it attracts loads of
tourists, it is worth seeing for sure.

Jeni and I spent most of our time seeing the main sights, then strolling up
Florence's bustling streets, checking out pastry shops, gelateria's and wine stores.
We ate a great Italian meal at a restaurant called Pepo, which was a recommendation
from our guide on the walking tour who grew up in Florence...it had to be good! Jeni
had steamy, gooey lasagna and I had cheesy ravioli...it was all homemade pasta,
too. Our guide also showed us one of the best places in Florence to have gelato and
I cannot remember the name. Anyways, she told us that if you seek out a gelateria
that only serves gelato and nothing else, you can be sure that it is freshly made on
the premises. People, I think by now I am a certified gelato expert and can guide
you through any gelato experience! Just ask!  

You can ponder in Italy...

Tuscany...in autumn...

Enjoying the sun...enjoying the view!

Our time in the Tuscan city of Florence flew by and is definitely a warm, friendly,
beautiful place with tons of history. Our Italian journey takes us on to Venice on
the evening of November 3rd. An hour before our train departed from Florence, J-Sak
and I decided to do one last stroll through the markets, making sure there wasn't
anything we forgot to look at or buy. Really, could I leave Florence without a
leather hand bag?! I think not! I bargained my way down to a fair price, bought the
bag, and we scurried off to the central train station to make our way to our next
Italian destination! Canals and gondolas...we can hear Venice calling!

Mediterranean Heaven

Not a single day goes by without some sort of glitch or surprise...honestly. I've
started to wake up in the morning and wonder: hmmm, what kind of surprise will meet
up with us today? This is not a bad thing; it keeps me on my toes. And, things that
were once a big deal are laughable now...on our trip, and in life in general. This
is one of the neat things about traveling somewhere different.

Sunday, October 30th...we left Bordeaux at 10 pm the previous evening and spent the
night on the train to Nice, expecting to arrive at 8 am the next morning. I feel bad
for Jeni because she came down with a monstrous cold in Bordeaux and, by the time we
hit Nice, she started to sound like a raspy old man. Of course, we were on a night
train when daylight savings began. In hindsight, at least we were ON a train and not
waiting for one. Just a minor scare that morning when we awoke and thought we slept
through our stop. After scrambling to get dressed, looking like homeless slobs, we
rushed out of our carriage, only to discover we have an hour to go before our
arrival in Nice...

We were immediately excited when we exited the train station. Palm trees! Blue sky!
Warmth! American breakfast advertised at a nearby cafe! After we stopped for our
breakfast of bacon, eggs, bread and two lattes, we headed straight for the
beach...the Mediterranean coast baby!! It was blissful. It was hard to believe that
less than two weeks before this moment, we were in Switzerland, hiking down Mt.
Pilatus, in the snow...and now we were plunked down on the beaches of the French
Riviera. So far, "second half" was looking mighty fine!

The two days we spent in Nice consisted of us watching the blue waves roll in. We
had decided that all we wanted to do was set up shop at the beach, only a 15 minute
walk from our hostel, and enjoy the plus 20 degree weather we were so badly craving.
I was so thankful for this time...I needed a break and it felt great to finally have
some warmth.

This is what Paris did to me. Conked right out on the beach in Nice.

The old town of Nice is really beautiful...filled with local shops and small
eateries. J-Sak and I found a delicious homemade ice cream  place (of course) with
tons of flavors, including unique ones like lavender, avocado, tomato & basil and
rose petal. I chose white chocolate and lavender...so good! This ice cream place is
called Fenocchio, located in the old town of Nice, in one of the main squares...in
case any of you happen to drop by there sometime! 

Ice cream..MmMMmmmmM!

What else can I say about Nice? We didn't do any touring around or sight seeing, and
we didn't really meet any other travelers while we were there either...we were too
busy catching some rays along the coast and gearing up for our most anticipated
country of the whole trip. You guessed it! The Boot is beckoning us and, after two
delightful days on the Mediterranean, we hopped a train to Florence, Italy!

J-Sak and I walking the strip along the Mediterranean

Lookin' good!

Au revoir, France! You were an experience...I'll just say that!

Bordeaux...And Cheers to the Second Half!

The train ride to Bordeaux took 3 hours and we got to experience riding on the high speed network. I now realize why reservations are required...20 coaches jam packed...not one empty seat. And musty, with all those bodies.

Both J-Sak and I are thrilled to get to Bordeaux because of two things: we get to do laundry and most of our clothes have been quarantined for a freakin' week, and, we got a great deal on a private hotel room with a kitchenette! All we wanted to do was to have clean clothes and to sleep! The only problem was, the directions on the hotel's website stated to get off at main train station and the hotel would be right there. Not true. Not true at all. The directions failed to mention that the hotel is actually a 10 minute walk from the train station. Luckily, a very friendly guy named Antonio spotted that we were lost (do we really stick out that much?) and walked us to the hotel. So nice. A nice Frenchie, who knew!? (Oh, just kidding! Plus, I don't think I have any French friends anyways!). We arrived at the hotel only to discover that the reception had closed at 7 pm and we were locked out! Nooo! After standing outside the entrance for a few minutes, pondering our next step, Jeni sees and ATM looking machine with the hotel logo on it down the street. A computerized check-in service, brilliant! Much faster and more effective than our Parisian friend, Reggie! Pop in your credit card and the machine spits out your room key. Our room is great! Clean bathroom, no bugs and our own space...it was like a mini apartment. At this point on our trip, we had been on the road for 3 weeks and needed a little down time and some space. Good night world! We hit the lights and slept for 11 long hours...

We awoke at almost noon the next day. October 28th, it was going to be a good day...it was Jeni's birthday...and it was the first time in 4 years that I was with J-Sak on her birthday because she lived in Edmonton while I was living in Victoria. We wanted to keep the day low key, still resting up from our previous 3 weeks of travel. We strolled the shopping streets and decided to check out what Bordeaux had to offer. Well, there is not much actually. The city itself is not too nice and there is dog sh!t everywhere (another common theme throughout the next few weeks of our trip, and yes, I do come into contact with it...several times!). That evening I make Jeni a birthday dinner in our Bordeaux "apartment"...seasoned chicken, pasta with tomato sauce, a salad, a baguette and, of course, wine. Jeni is now into drinking what is called a Gin Fizz...gin, lemon juice and Sprite. We also grab fresh pastries for desert from a bakery down the street...delicious, my gawd! No birthday would be official without candles, and lots of em'! I laced J-Sak's dessert with at least 10 candles that she was actually unable to blow out! They were trick candles or something, that kept burning and burning! The more she tried to blow them out, the more they smoked and scattered ash everywhere. I'm  surprised our smoke alarm didn't go off. Those of you who know Jeni, you can ask to see the video of this whole episode...it's all on camera, and it's pretty hysterical!  

WoOo-oooO-OOo-OO! Barbara Streisand!

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Our second day in Bordeaux ended up being a write off. I had encouraged us to venture to Bordeaux because I heard that it is France's wine country and I really wanted to do a wine tour. Though Jeni's not into wine that much, she agreed that it would be a neat experience. Seriously people, we tried, as best we could to check out a winery just outside of Bordeaux but the cards were not in our favor. The area around Bordeaux has hundreds of wineries that tourists can visit, so we stopped at the Bordeaux Tourist Information Centre for more details. No one could give us any information or help us in anyway. It was pathetic, really. I was so frustrated with the people working at the tourist office...I could go into more detail,  but it's long and negative. So, we decided to figure out our itinerary and transportation route ourselves, and we got quite far, but in the end, it didn't  work out. We just needed a bit of guidance with a few things, and no one we spoke with was willing to lend us a hand. Screw you, Bordeaux! Ahhh well, maybe a wine tour in Spain? Bordeaux let us relax and build up energy for the second half our our Euro trip. In fact, as we were waiting for our night train to arrive to take us from Bordeaux to Nice that night, October 29th, Jeni and I stopped for a bite to eat and raised a glass to toast: to the second half! To much more adventures to come!

And we were on to Nice...

False Alarm.

One last thing I must mention about our time in Paris...it might go down as one of the funniest/weirdest/grossest experiences that J-Sak and I have been through together...

We were hunkered down in our bunks during our second night in Paris, hoping to get a great night sleep. We had an awesome roommate named Kat who was from London, but was studying in Paris. She was staying at the hostel because she was in the process of looking for a flat to live in. We had some good conversations with her and she was pretty funny and openminded. 

Anyways, we had just come from our bed bug experience in Vienna and were constantly on edge and always on the lookout for crawly things. Especially me because I have a dislike for crawlies and will go as far to say that I have a big fear of spiders. It did not help that our room was disgusting and that one could only imagine what lives in the cracks along the floor boards. So, we had just turned off the lights and I am snuggling nicely into my bottom bunk. I usually like to pull the covers up right around face...for optimal warmth and comfort. I then notice a dark blob next to my eye, on the covers. I didn't really think anything of it for a few minutes because I figured it was the way the blanket was crinkled and, in the dark, some folds in the covers are dark and others are light...depending on how the light cascades across the room. I go to moved the covers because the blob sort of makes me uncomfortable and realize it has long, slender legs!! Holy #%!€!!!!!! I ripped off the covers so hard...the bunk bed shook as if there was an 8.9 earthquake! Jeni flipped out and wanted to desperately know why I was flipping out...and Kat just watched and laughed. 

"It's a freakin' disgusting bug!" I shout. Jeni is giggling.

"Ewww it is really big," says Jeni.

"Look at its legs!" I point.

Kat graciously and willingly offers to retrieve it for me off my bed. She grabs a cup out of the bathroom to stuff this critter into. She moves in closer towards the fat, centipede looking thing and confirms that it is, in fact, a bug. Great. Sick. Screw this hostel!

"Oh wait'" says Kat. "Know what it is?!"

Jeni and I both stare at her with wide eyes...

"It's a feather!" Kat laughs. 

Oh my gawd...relief!! Jeni is laughing pretty hard at this point.

" No wait!" Kat seems like she is taking back her last confirmation about the blob! Oh no!

"It's a fake set of eyelashes!" Kat giggles.

Well, now Jeni is curling up with laughter! And I am so grossed out that there are falsies stuck to my blanket! For how long?! And whose?!

"So glad it's not a bug!" I exclaim.

Jeni relplies, through her wheezes and tears of laughter, "False alarm! Literally!"

Every Stair We Climbed was Worth It! And Same Goes for Every Pastry We Ate...Worth It!

Throughout our travels in Europe, J-Sak and I have discovered the free, 2 hour, Sandman walking tours...almost every major European city has them and are usually advertised at hostels. We have tried to grab as many of these tours as possible...one, because they're free...two, because they're a great way to get acquainted with the city and know the important history...and three, the guides are usually locals who know what they are talking about! Our first morning in Paris, we decided to take advantage of such a tour. We arrived late, thinking we were going to miss the tour altogether...but we were good. We didn't realized exactly how big Paris' metro system is and how many stairs and passage ways you must walk to transfer lines! No wonder the French can eat as many pastries as they do and remain skinny!

Me and the metro...conquering it bit by bit!

A pre-tour Snacky McSnackerson...of nuts.

We toured the main sights and then Jeni and I were able to pick out exactly which ones we wanted to see in more depth. Also, after the tour, our guide invited the group to join him at a restaurant to try some traditional French dishes...most everyone tried the duck and it was delicious. We shared a table with an Aussie couple (of course) who happened to have lived in Timmins, Ontario for a couple of years, prior to traveling Europe. They were both engineers and got jobs working in Ontario and up north. They were interesting to chat with as they had never experienced snow in Australia and told us about how they LOVED all the winter activities around Timmins. We couldn't help but laugh when the Aussie guy told us about the first time he traveled, by small plane, to a work site up in the N.W.T., he couldn't believe how expansive the fog cover was when looking down on the ground from the window of the plane. His boss apparently just shook his head and told him that what he thought was "fog", was actually snow! Haha!

After lunch, Jeni and I walked the Champs Élysées, which is one of he biggest avenues in Paris, with some of the most expensive shopping in the world. Champs Élysées leads to the Arc de Triomphe and is the final couple of kilometers of the Tour de France. Yes all, Jeni and I did drop some dough while walking the Champs Élysées! We bee-lined it straight for the Adidas store...and it was the koolest, biggest and craziest Adidas store ever! We both bought some French soccer socks, they're mighty kool. 

Ready to get her shop on! Hello Adidas!

The Arc de Triomphe at dusk

We then headed for the Arc de Triomphe, which is one of the most spectacular monuments I have ever seen. It was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories and is also home to the body of the Unknown Soldier, buried under the Arc to pay tribute to all who died in WW I. Every evening at 6:30, a large flame is lit next to the Unknown Soldier, and we were fortunate to be at the Arc during that time. We ventured to the top of the Arc at sunset and had amazing views of all of Paris! Jeni got some great photos and we saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up. It is really difficult to put into words what we saw at the top...but it was spectacular and hard to believe that the two of us were all the way in Paris, France staring out at a great sea of lights. It was probably the most excited I've seen Jeni on our whole trip.

View from on top of the Arc

ShizZaM!

After the Arc...we headed back towards our hostel and stopped at a chilled out cafe for wine and the most delicious creme brûlée we have ever tasted! Day one: success!

Day two of Paris was even more full. The Louvre!! Oh my gawd, The Louvre! First of all, do you all know how big that freakin' museum is?! It would take days to see all the exhibits! I knew it was big...but I didn't know it was that big. Also, the line up to get in was basically as big as the museum...2 hours to wait...but Mona was calling our names! By the time J- Sak and I reached the inside and scurried to see the Mona Lisa, we were tired! Mona...she was what I expected...but great to meet her nonetheless. She was swarmed by hungry tourists...a big cloud of people taking pictures. So, this is one thing that really bugs me about certain tourists: taking pictures when picture taking is not allowed, or using a flash when not allowed. You know how many people were going flash crazy at Mona?! Use your eyes. I doubt you'll forget her.

The line up for the Louvre. Where's Waldo?!

There were so many fabulous exhibits at the Louvre. I was particularly fascinated by the Mesopotamia exhibit that featured artifacts from 7000-1500 BC. BC...wow!! Amazing. After 3 hours inside we couldn't handle it anymore. We were feeling the exhaustion of being bombarded with thousands of people 24/7 and the overwhelming nature of the Louvre. Time for a pastry break and change of scenery...

So tired in the Louvre...we needed sugar, badly!

We maneuvered our way towards Notre Dame...constantly dodging in and out of clusters of people. In a city of 2.5 million, plus tons of tourists, we were beginning to get antsy. The building of Notre Dame started in 1163, was completed by the mid-14th century and is a huge and stunning church. Jeni and I wanted to climb to the top, but we arrived too late in the day. Secretly though, I think we both were a bit relieved because our legs were beginning to feel like lead. That night we went to a creperie for dinner...so delicious!  

The fabulous Notre Dame!

Side view of Notre Dame

Our third day in Paris we were taking an afternoon train to Bordeaux, so we had the morning to do more exploring. Catacombes!! Another 1.5 hour wait, but it was worth it! By the late 1700s Paris' cemeteries were overflowing and bones began to be exhumed and placed into 3 disused quarries. One of the quarries, created in 1810, is today known as the Catacombes. We traveled 130 steps underground and walked a kilometer and a half through tunnels stacked with thousands of bones. It was creepy and fascinating, and I definitely recommend seeing it if you travel to Paris.

Catacombes

Piles and piles of bones

We then made our way to the train station to hop our train to wine country: Bordeaux in the southwest. One last push through the hordes of pushy people...10 minutes to catch our train...we are in coach # 9...it literally takes us 10 minutes to walk the length of our train and squeeze through all the other travelers. 

We made it! Exhausted doesn't begin to describe our tiredness...Paris took us for all we were worth but it was worth all the line ups, tourists, snooty Frenchies and scum hole of a hostel! Europe wouldn't have been the same without a visit!

Reggie.

Paris...ahh yes. Paris. Where to begin? We spent three long, long days touring the rues and avenues of Paris and a lot happened in those 3 days...


We arrived at one of Paris' several large and crowded train stations on October 24 and made a mad dash to the ticketing centre to secure reservations on our next couple of trains...to Bordeaux and to Nice. We had been forewarned by our roommates in Vienna, fellow Canadians from Toronto, that it is imperative to reserve seats in advance on trains in France, Italy and Spain, or else one could be stuck somewhere for a week to ten days...as they experienced. Good advice. Another forewarning by another roommate of ours in Switzerland (a Czech fellow who now lives and works in Germany and had basically traveled the globe) told us to brush up on our charade skills because we would most likely be doing a lot of hand waving and gesturing in France (especially Paris) because, even though many Frenchies can understand and converse in English, they simply won't...especially with tourists. Good advice. J-Sak and I figured that we'd cross that bridge when we came to it, no sense in worrying about it. That bridge came up for us pretty fast...I don't think we were in Paris half an hour yet! 


We waited in a lengthy line up at the ticket centre and, finally, our turn  came up. All we needed to do was book seat reservations, for the both of us, from Paris to Bordeaux and then from Bordeaux to Nice. Simple enough, right? One would think...


"Bonjour," I said. Then proceeded with our request in the best French I could muster. The young woman at the ticket counter looked us up and down as if we were skrinkley beings from an alternate universe. We could read her face: "Oh no!! English speakers!! Duck and hide!" After a few minutes of trying to convey to her what we needed, she scoffed at us in frustration, got up from her seat, and was replaced by another woman who spoke some broken English. Though none of us spoke the same language, I didn't think my request was overly complicated. Reservation...deux personnes...Paris to Bordeaux...Octobre vent-sept...sil-vous-plait. Still nothing. Just another confused and frustrated face staring back at us...


At the end of it all, we ended up having to pay for a first class ticket to Bordeaux as all of the Eurail reservations were booked solid for a week. At least this is what we were told...€ 70 in the hole. Ahh well. Though our first experience with trying to receive help from Parisians was somewhat aggravating and made out to be way more complicated than necessary, Jeni and I soon learned the Frenchie's system and could maneuver just fine. Ha!


Now on to our hostel...Ohhh our hostel...remember the cliffhanger a few posts back? (yeah, the bed bugs were only half of the cliffhanger).


We stayed at a place called Caulaincourt Square. I mention this place so that anyone reading this and thinking about hostel jumping around Europe may think twice about staying there. At your own risk I say! 


We enter into the lobby where we were abruptly greeted by a middle aged, American fellow named Reggie. Hi Reggie. Check-in took half an hour...and not because there was a horrendously long line up. Nope. J-Sak and I were the only ones Reggie was helping during that delightful half hour. Now, I have to interject on my own story here because I realize that many of you reading this might think that Paris is starting out overly negative. Our first evening in Paris was nothing outstanding, I will be honest. It was actually discouraging and there were several bumps in the road that evening...but once we got the ball rolling, Paris was amazing in so many respects!


Ok, so back to Reggie. He whipped out a sheet of paper and barked at J-Sak and I to read the hostel rules. I had already read them as they were posted on an info board in the lobby, while we were initially waiting for Reggie to get his sh!t together and start the check-in process. He glared at me and made it clear that he highly doubted I had actually read all the rules. I handed him € 1 and said that I would like a set of sheets for my bed, as rule # 10 stated that we had to pay for our bed sheets. Jackass. He then proceeded to shuffle some sheets of paper around and pull out his cigarettes. Meanwhile, Jeni and I are wondering if he will ever get to the next step of checking us in, or will we be sleeping in the lobby? 


"You owe € 167.57," barked Reggie. "I prefer card."
Jeni pulls out her MasterCard. 
"It's only a preference," snaps Reggie again.
Jeni hands him her card. Reggie picks up a smoke and heads outside for a little break and Jeni and I stand at the counter wondering if this guy is serious? A smoke break?! We look at each other and smile a bit...just thinking about how ridiculous the past couple of hours have been. Regster decides to return, shuffle some more random papers around and asks us if we'd like to pay. Uhhh, YEAH! By this time we are thinking that maybe some of Reggie's marbles are rolling around on the hairy, moldy floor. We ask him if it's possible to split the accommodation bill in half? OHhhH no, no, no...how dare we ask that. Impossible! But, I'm sure if Reggie had a calculator, he could've done it just fine (every other hostel we had been to around Europe gladly split the bill for us).


To process the credit card, hand us our keys, bed sheets/towels and to inform us about breakfast took another ten, long minutes. Finally, we are checked in and head for the stairs, ready to drop our gear in our room. We can feel Reggie's eyes burning the back of our heads.
"Caitlin, I like you," Reggie says. "You know why? Because you are left handed and have freckles, just like me." 
I had to fill out some paper work, so my left handed secret was out of the bag. And the freckles, well that's no secret! All in all, a very weird half an hour of my life. Still, to this day, J-Sak feels like chopped liver and wonders why Reggie only singled me out, haha! 


We head up several flights of stairs (this is a very common theme in Paris...millions of stairs...all the time) and open the door to our humble abode, our home for the next three days. Unfortunately...


Our room held 6 beds, in a space big enough for 2. The floors looked like they had not been swept or washed in millennia. Jeni, thank gawd, wiped a sticky brown film off of the night table. There were inches of mold in every crack and crevasse of the shower. Bugs loitered around the ceiling light. Our garbage was never emptied throughout our whole stay. And, the sink had bad breath. To top it all off, we paid a hefty price to stay there...one of the most expensive hostels on our whole trip so far. It was a dump. A real dump. The only semi-redeeming quality about this hostel was that it included free breakfast which was not bad, for being free.


To boost our spirits that night, J-Sak and I figured we needed to see or do something great. We decided to head for the Eiffel Tower and check it out at night, all lit up. Wow, wow! So beautiful, and pics to come! 

What a sight!

Eiffel Tower at night!

BAM! Paris!

And so our Paris adventures begun...and though the beginning was tiring and frustrating, experiences are usually what you make of them. There was no doubt  in my mind that Paris would be a city to remember.